When you stand at the foot of a great mountain, you get a sense of how small you are in the grand scale of things. When you stand next to an immense old Roman column in Lebanon or Morocco, or by the pyramids in Egypt, you get a sense of the immensity of history and the passage of time.

Sometimes Allah breaks our spirits to save our soul. Sometimes Allah breaks our hearts to make us hole. Sometimes Allah sends us pain so we can be stronger. Sometimes Allah gives us failure so we can be humble...

Just like we take care of our outward appearance, wear nice clothes, and worry about public tastes in our manner of grooming, we should also take care to beautify our inner selves. Just as we would hate to go out in public in a disheveled state, we should also be aware that the corruption of the inner being is far more odious.

Holding the tongue, like eating and sleeping only a little, always has been a golden rule followed by men and women of perfection. Those who wish to develop their spiritual faculties are advised firstly to hold their tongue and to refrain from idle talk. They should not say whatever comes into their heads.

When a person goes to the grave, the Prophet tells us, he or she takes with them three things, one stays and two return. “Your family and your wealth return; what stays with you are your deeds,” Your good and bad deeds... Because that’s what’s going to determine where you’re going to be and what’s going to happen to you in your grave.

When you desire benefit from the Quran, then bring your heart together during its recitation, listen heedfully and have the presence of the one who is being addressed and spoken to, since it is a speech from Him, the Sublime, to you, upon the tongue of His Messenger, Muhammad (peace be upon him).

We need to protect ourselves from thinking we are better than others, as Iblis believed he was better than us. We must understand that the foundation of humility is knowing that if we are elevated in status it is only because of Allah.

Be present, focus on the day you have, and know that even in hard times the longest day is only 24 hours. This will make your life much simpler if you take one day at a time. Use the present to work for your hereafter, and don’t let this chance pass you by— you don’t know if there will be a tomorrow.

An-Nawas ibn Sam`an (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (peace an blessings be upon him) said: “Righteousness is in good character, and wrongdoing is that which wavers ... Read More »